Dateline Detroit: Momentous March Part 6

MARCH IS ALWAYS MOMENTOUS IN DETROIT. IN MARCH 1837, THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MOVED FROM ITS FIRST HOME IN DETROIT TO A NEW HOME IN HAD ANN ARBOR. LET'S JUST SAY THE CAMPUS WASN'T CROWDED. U OF M HAD TWO PROFESSORS AND SEVEN STUDENTS, AND HISTORY MAVS ON. SCHOOL'S GOT TO START SOMEWHERE. NBC'S EDUCATION NATION SHINED A SPOTLIGHT ON A LOT OF MISCH MICHIGAN SCHOOLS THIS MONTH BOUGHT BUTT AS THE FOCUS IS ON EDUCATION REFORM A LOT OF COMMUNITIES YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT TALENTED YOUNG PEOPLE LEAVING OUR AREA FOR JOBS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE WANT THEM TO STAY, AND NOW AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM SETS OUT TO KEEP THOSE BRIGHT MINDS RIGHT HERE. IT'S AN INTESTINE, EXPREAF EFFECTIVE WAY. WE SHOW YOU HOW. ONE OF MICHIGAN'S TOUGHEST BATTLES RIGHT NOW IS AGAINST THE BRAIN DRAIN. TALENTED YOUNG PEOPLE WITH COMPUTER SKILLS TAKING THOSE SKILLS SOMEPLACE ELSE. YOU'RE GOING TO SILICON VALLEY OR CHICAGO OR NEW YORK. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS COMPANY REALLY EXISTED DOWN HERE AND WHAT THEY DID UNTIL I WAS BROUGHT INTO THE PROGRAM. CURRENTLY A STUDENT WAYNE STATE AND ALSO A FULL-TIME QUICKEN LOANS EMPLOYEE SAID HE WAS READY TO PACK AND UP LEAVE TOWN UNTIL HE WENT THROUGH I.T. EXPHLT D. AND LEARNED ABOUT THE NEW DETROIT. TO SEE DETROIT COMING BACK IN A DIFFERENT FIELD THAN AUTOMOTIVE, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING. WE'RE COMING BACK. THE PROGRAM IS THE LULT OF AN INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN FIVE LOWELL BASED COMPANIES. COME PEW WARE, QUICKEN LOANS, GALAXY SOLUTIONS, MARKETING ASSOCIATES, AND FAT HEAD. THE FIRST STEP IN THEIR VISION WAS TO REJECT THE INSTINCT TO COMPETE AGAINST EACH OTHER. THE REAL COMPETITION IS NOT AMONGST OURSELVES, IT'S WITH SILICON VALLEY, AUSTIN, TEXAS, NEW YORK CITY, SO BY COMING TOGETHER WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE AN IMPACT IN THAT WAY. STUDENTS SELECTED FOR THE PROGRAM ATTEND CLASSES TWICE A WEEK AND ARE WORK ON REAL WORLD PROJECTS. THE TRAINING IS INTENSE, OFFERED BY VOLUNTEER I.T. PROFESSIONALS. WE'VE HIRED PEOPLE RIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE AND THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS PREPARED FOR THE REALITIES OF THE WORKPLACE. WHICH IS WHY THEY TEACH WHAT'S REFERRED TO AS SOFT SKILLS BECAUSE TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT BITS AND BITES JUST ISN'T ENOUGH IN THE REAL WORLD. SAME TERM HERE WE SHARE WITH OUR STUDENTS. THIS IS TEAM WORK. YOU HAVE TO SHARE. YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH PEOPLE TOGETHER. AND THEY CAN MAKE A SUCCESS. IT WOULD SEEM THAT EVERYTHING WE LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN STILL WORKS. I'M STEVE GARAGIOLA. THE NEXT I.T. IN THE D. TRAINING SESSIONS ARE SCHEDULED FOR LATER THIS SPRING. YOU CAN CONTACT ANY OF THE COMPANIES INVOLVED TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN QUALIFY. IN DETROIT'S NEWEST TRADITION

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